Visitors at Rocky Mountain National Park / Erika Zambello

Every year, visitors from around the world are drawn to the soaring peaks, the green valleys, and the charismatic wildlife of Rocky Mountain National Park. In 2018, visitation hit a peak of its own, breaking all previous records. The park received a total of 4,590,492 visitors last year - a 3.5 percent increase over visitation in 2017.  This number represents a slight increase from previous record visitation in 2016, of 4,517,584. While single-digit increases remain impressive, overall visitation has increased over 40 percent since 2012. 

To put those numbers in context, it is worth noting that across the country, national parks received over 330 million visits in 2017.  According to the National Park Service, of the 418 sites in the system, 385 count visitation, and half the total visitation to the National Park System comes from just 27 parks. Historically, Great Smoky Mountains National Park beats out all others, and in 2017 the Blue Ridge Parkway and the Golden Gate National Recreation Area joined Great Smoky with more than 10 million recreational visits.

In Rocky Mountain, fall visitation, particularly on weekends, continues to increase. And more weekend winter visitors are braving the slippery roads. In 2018, seven of the 10 top busiest days fell in September; the remaining three in July and August. 

While increased visitation means more people connecting to and loving the park, the rise can put a strain on park infrastructure and resources. Park managers continue to address the effects this level of visitation is having on visitor and staff safety, resource protection, visitor experiences, and operational capacity.

Beginning in 2016, during the summer and early fall park staff restricted vehicle access in three specific areas, the Bear Lake Road corridor, the Wild Basin area, and Alpine Visitor Center when parking areas fill and heavy congestion warrants. These restrictions occurred most days in July and August, in addition to weekends in June and September. Other areas of the park are experiencing high visitation as well, particularly when restrictions are in place.

In the future, staff are following a holistic, park-wide approach to protecting natural resources while providing a positive visitor experience. These concepts will be shared with the public later this year and will involve a stakeholder-engaged planning process.